In 1933, Michigan moved quickly and became the first state to ratify the 21st Amendment repealing the prohibition of alcohol. But these days, a mix of politics, power and lobbying means change doesn't come as fast when it comes to the state's liquor laws.

There was optimism among state officials — and some brewers and pub owners — when a state commission produced a 2012 report detailing a myriad of ways to modernize Michigan's liquor control system. The changes were billed as a way to spur business and job growth while maintaining public safety.

Two years and one day later, just 18 of those 72 recommendations have been implemented, and a handful of those that were approved have been watered down from the original proposals after lobbyists and the lawmakers supported by them became involved.

Among the 54 proposals that have been successfully blocked include allowing breweries to ship directly to customers as wineries do, permitting liquor licenses to be transferred between adjacent counties and allowing bars and restaurants to buy more liquor per month from stores if they run out.

Among the watered-down was a proposal to allow brewers that make less than 30,000 barrels to ship directly to retailers. That was changed to 1,000 barrels and the beer must be delivered by an employee of the brewery in a vehicle owned by the brewery.

Apparently no rule change was too small not to be debated and changed. Instead of rescinding a rule that bans the use of branded glassware in bars and restaurants, the Legislature passed a law that names 13 specific purchased branded items that can be used.

Critics say these and many of the other proposals didn't see the light of day or were changed because they would hurt the profits of wholesalers that operate in specific jurisdictions — entities with which bar and restaurant owners are required to do business by state law.

"I don't think much gets done on alcohol without the wholesalers' fingerprints on it," said Michael LaFaive, director of fiscal policy for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

Mike Lashbrook, president of the Michigan Beer and Wine WholesalersAssociation, one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Lansing, is not shy about the role his organization played in preventing many of the provisions from taking hold.

"We see that as a success," he said. "We believe the issues and recommendations that had merit and were going to have a positive economic impact in a responsible manner passed.

"There certainly were a number of recommendations that were irresponsible ... and we vigorously opposed those."

In the past two years, wholesalers have spent more than $285,000 on lobbying. In the 2012 election cycle, the wholesalers PAC raised $745,000 and more than $500,000 through April of this cycle, according to the Michigan Campaign Finance Network.

Stale rules

The Office of Regulatory Reinvention, whose mission is to simplify regulations and remove obsolete ones, originally set up the committee that looked at alcohol regulations. It also formed committees in seven other areas, including the environment, workplace safety, and insurance and finance, and eventually proposed 328 changes to laws and regulations.

Since 2012, 146 have been implemented.

The proposals from the liquor committee have the lowest percentage of success of the reports released more than a year ago. The latest report, one on rulemaking, was released three months ago. So far, one of the 18 recommendations has been implemented.

The rate of successful implementation of these changes ranges from the 25 percent the liquor report produced, to 74 percent in the insurance and finance sector, where 34 of 46 recommendations have been implemented.

So what is so different about alcohol?

Those serving on the committee and others in the industry point to multiple factors, including that alcohol is a controlled substance, but there's also a healthy dose of politics and money.

Rich Robinson, of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, said interest groups play offense when they want something changed and they play defense when they don't. In this case, the wholesalers didn't want many of the changes. Because the wholesalers give generously to lawmakers in both parties and often host fundraisers at their office near the Capitol, Robinson said, he was not surprised so little has been done.

"They give any lawmaker money who is sucking air, so long as they aren't complete teetotalers," he said.

Cleaning the lines

Some of the other rule changes that were implemented were less controversial, such as no longer requiring security guards to escort individuals visiting the Michigan Liquor Control Commission in Lansing.

Other changes reduced duplicative paperwork and encouraged the use of electronic communication to help speed up the process of approving liquor licenses.

One of the biggest changes was for conditional liquor licenses.

Under the previous law, when someone purchased a bar, the transfer of the liquor license typically took months longer than all the other paperwork. So in order for the new owner to be able to sell alcohol before the license transfer, a "participating management agreement" had to be set up — and the previous owner had to technically stay on as owner.

The transfer process could take anywhere from a few months to more than a year.

Under the law Gov. Rick Snyder signed in December, businesses are issued a conditional license within 20 business days, contingent on a background check.

"That's a game changer in liquor licensing," said Andy Deloney, chair of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.

Linda Gobler, president and CEO of the Michigan Grocers Association, who also served on the liquor rules committee, said conditional licensing was important to her industry as well as the restaurant industry. That is why she said she doesn't see it as a negative that so few changes have been implemented.

"Those are always very difficult issues," she said. "Liquor is a complex system. There are a lot of vested players in it. It requires a lot of education."

The next case

Scott Graham, executive director of the Michigan Brewers Guild, said he was glad to see the state review alcohol regulation.

"Quite a few people have gotten into brewing without experience," he said.

Those brewers have had to learn on the job, and they have learned that the most influential voice in Lansing is the beer and wine wholesalers, he said.

"We are much younger at that game, but we have a significant voice that should be heard," he said. "The beer and wine wholesalers should be a voice for wholesalers. The voice for beer should be the ones that make the beer."

Deloney said the state will continue to act on the remaining recommendations made by the committee through either the action of his commission or legislation.

"They all still have potential," Deloney said. "We're very proud of the work we have done, but we are not at all done."